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Topic

Sound and Trance States: Identifying the Elements of Music Most Conducive to Altered States of Consciousness

Interdisciplinary Studies

Date & location

• Friday, March 20, 2026
• 10:00 A.M.
• Clearihue Building, Room B007

Examining Committee

Supervisory Committee

• Dr. Anthony Tan, School of Music ̽��ϵ�� (Supervisor)
• Dr. Stuart MacDonald, Department of Psychology, UVic (Co-Supervisor)
• Dr. Joseph Salem, School of Music, UVic (Member)

External Examiner

• Dr. Jason Noble, Département de musique, Université de Moncton

Chair of Oral Examination

• Dr. Lyndze Harvey, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, UVic

Abstract

A trance state is a heightened expression of an altered state of consciousness (ASC) that has been shown to be beneficial for both development and regeneration. These states are often strongly influenced by aural stimuli. My research aims to codify the characteristics of sound that most support trance induction and other forms of ASCs both scientifically and artistically. The former is explored through a cognitive psychology experiment making use of electroencephalography (EEG) to test specific types of rhythmic entrainment most conducive to an array of ASCs. Artistically, I composed a guitar duet that employs more general trance inducing musical features discovered through music perception analysis and ethnographical accounts of traditional ritual trance music. Together, the goal is to be able to leverage sound more therapeutically in clinical settings and develop new methods of exploring the intersection between the science of perception and music composition.